Project Pehchaan: Modernizing ESIC Services
ESI Corporation, with a more generous and benevolent view for ensuring much better services to IP and families, undertook a special drive for the computerization, modernization, and automation of the existing practices through a project called "Project Pehchaan" to increase the performance of the scheme and provide faster benefits to the insured employees. The computerization project is being undertaken by WIPRO Technologies. It began with the evaluation of employer codes, aligning with the computerization process for easy capturing of employer details by codifying all employers with a uniform number of digits to enable quick sorting and filtration of an unlimited database. As a result, the employer code has been converted into 17 digits across all locations, accessible and serviceable to all employers at all branch offices or regional offices in their respective states/regions. The details of the code are as shown below.
A fresh declaration form (Form I) must be submitted by an Insured Person at the local branch offices for the issuance of the Smart card.
All employees and their families (if required) will be given a smart card instead of a traditional paper card as part of the computerization process. The smart card is a plastic card similar to an ATM card and will be issued with updated details of the employee and their family members. To issue the smart card, an up-to-date database is created. For this purpose, all employers are required to have employees fill out a fresh declaration form in FORM I, duly signed and stamped by the Employer, and hand it over to the Insured Person for onward submission to the ESIC branch office when presenting themselves along with family members for photo sessions and recording of biometric fingerprints.
After entering all data into the system, an enrollment camp is organized by ESI branch offices, which may also take place on Sundays, for taking family photographs and collecting biometric details. ESIC delivers the smart cards to employees through employers. Two cards are issued, one for the insured person and the other for their eligible family members.
Important Points to Note:
• Declaration Form must be submitted on A4 size paper only. No other sizes of Forms are acceptable to ESIC.
• Form must be submitted without any overwriting.
• All columns must be filled out correctly.
Benefits of the Computerization of ESIC:
1. Employees will be able to receive medical benefits from any dispensary and cash benefits from any branch office.
2. Employers are eligible to pay the contribution amount online.
3. Online registration of employers and employees is possible.
It is estimated that 1.2 crore workers and their families covered under the ESIC across India will benefit from the scheme. The estimated total beneficiaries under the scheme are 6 crore, and nearly 2.4 crore cards will be prepared and distributed. One smart card will be issued to the insured person and the other to their family. The card will reduce the hassles of the cardholders as it will allow them to access any ESI dispensary, hospital, or branch office of the ESIC across the country. This smart card will contain a photograph of the insured person and their medical history.